More, Please (Please Series Book 3) (12 page)

“And what do you do?” Mike asked with a pleasant smile.

“Oh, I work—”

“Yes, Olivia.” The clear voice rang out for the whole table to hear. Blaire looked at me with malicious, sparkling eyes. “What
do
you do?” Blaire turned to the man next to her. “I’ve met Olivia before, but never had a chance to talk to her properly.”

The man smiled politely and looked at me, giving me his undivided attention. In fact, the whole table had, apparently eager to get to know the new person. Swell.

I swallowed nervously. Hunter’s hand came to rest on my thigh. “I work for Hunter, actually. That’s how I met him.”

“And what is it you do for Hunter?” Blaire asked with a light but knowing tone.

“I’m his assistant,” I said, feeling my stack of debt. These people
had
assistants; they
weren’t
assistants. I didn’t fit in, and I’d just admitted it.

“Livy majored in Computer Engineering at Stanford and fell victim to the economy,” Hunter added in a nonchalant voice. Many of those at the table groaned and shifted, nodding in understanding. “She tried to refuse my job offer, but as you know, I’m a man who gets what he wants…”

Mike laughed in a booming voice as a server slid a salad in front of him. “Still haven’t got hold of my company, young man! I’m holding out.”

“Not yet, no,” Hunter said, leaning back so a server could place a salad in front of him. “But you’ll retire soon enough. I don’t have long to wait.”

“Mike will never retire. He has his life in that company!” a man down the table added with a smile. “It’s like a kid, but it never rebels.”

“Oh, it tried to rebel. The economy hit us pretty hard, too. We had to make some big cuts—running lean now. Not a lot of work coming through.” Mike picked up his fork as he looked at me. “I own a construction business. I built it from the ground up. Started out with nothing but blood, sweat, and tears, and now I get jobs from all across the nation. You have to start somewhere.”

“Hear, hear.” The man down the table raised his glass.

“Olivia doesn’t do traditional assistant work for me,” Hunter said as he put his glass down and picked up his fork, eyeing his salad. “She’s no good at it.”

My mouth dropped open in disbelief as Trisha said, “Hunter! That is no way to talk about—”

“I’m not saying that as a fault,” Hunter hastened to say, raising his hands to stop his mother’s rebuff. “But when you show her a spreadsheet, she forgets about lunch plans, meetings, plane tickets—all her focus is taken by that spreadsheet. Organizing schedules is not her strong suit, which works out well for me. I have a fantastic EA for those needs. With Olivia, I hand her tasks that might take a week if I passed them to the correct department. With her, I get them in a day. I’m spoiled.”

“Code, not spreadsheets,” I muttered. Nobody noticed.

“I was never any good at organizing, either,” Mike said in a kind voice, and winked at me.

“She is working on a project with the owner of a company we are taking over,” Hunter continued in a strong voice. “They’re developing a game app.”

“A game app?” Trisha inquired.

“It’s a video game that’s meant to be played on your smart phone,” I clarified, picking at my salad. “The app will be free to download, but after a certain number of levels you’ll have to pay to continue.”

“That’s where they get ya!” a woman with bright red lipstick said at the end of the table opposite Trisha. “I play a couple of puzzle games my daughter downloaded to my phone. They’re very addictive.”

“What kind of game are you designing?” a woman with nearly white hair next to Hunter asked.

“I’ve convinced him to make it a type of puzzle game with a war theme. Violent games do extremely well right now, so we’re going to start with that. If it does well, we’ll come out with another game that is more puzzle than war for those who like nonviolent games.”

“Oh, I don’t like those shoot-’em-up games all the kids are playing.” The woman with red lipstick shook her head adamantly and reached for her wine.

“When will you release?” Mike asked as Trisha and another couple people murmured about the shoot-’em-up games.

“In about a month, I think. We’re nearly ready.” I smiled with the excitement I always felt when talking about the game. “We’ve worked really hard on it. You never know how it’ll do, of course. It could flop and then all that time would be wasted. But hopefully it won’t.”

“It won’t flop,” the woman next to Hunter said with a reassuring smile.

“Looks like you love that line of work.” Mike eyed me with a steady gaze. “Even if it doesn’t work for you, it’s a good hobby. You should always strive to do what you love.”

“Since when do you love pushing a shovel around?” a graying man with a smile said.

“I get a young buck to work the shovel. But there’s nothing like working in the outdoors. Or standing at the foot of a building that you helped build.” Mike put his fork on his half-empty plate and pushed it forward. A server came to clear it immediately. “I’ve always loved to build. To make things with my hands. What a wonderful thing to get to do what you love. Young Hunter here hasn’t realized that yet. But he will. Then he’ll
really
perform miracles.”

“You’re incorrect. I do love what I do. I’ve always loved business,” Hunter said.

“You love business, but you don’t love reporting to a committee of pompous, snooty types, isn’t that right?” Mike leaned forward so he could see Hunter around me.

Hunter chewed, looking straight ahead. He didn’t respond.

As if Hunter’s silence was answer enough, Mike nodded. To me, he said, “Hunter loves to build, too. He loves to take a company that’s faltering and make it into something slick and shiny. You know how I know this?”

Mike looked around the table. All eyes were on him. “He came to buy out my company when it was in the worst shape. Mismanaged, tons of problems—hell, I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ll admit it. He saw the potential, saw what it would take to get it on the right track, and wanted to push up his sleeves and get to work. His sales pitch?” Mike’s gaze went around me to Hunter again. “‘Let me build your company the right way so you can build your dream.’ Well, he was talking about high rises. That was always my dream—build a grand high rise in a bustling city.”

Mike leaned back and wiped his mouth. He gave a smile as he continued. “I wouldn’t sell. I was just about bankrupt, but it was
my
company. I wanted to see it through, right or wrong—I was a bit stubborn back then…” More than a few people snorted at that. “That was when I realized Hunter was more like his mother than his father. He helped me anyway. As a family friend, he rolled up his sleeves. He got into the trenches with me without ever asking what he would get in return. He gave me advice a young man shouldn’t know, not even with another twenty years’ experience. He showed me the right path, and he helped me stay on it. Still does, as a matter of fact. He owns a quarter of the company now, but if I’m honest, he should get credit for half.”

“My advice wasn’t insightful, it was logic. You were just too busy with your hammers and nails to realize it,” Hunter said in a soft voice, laying down his fork on an almost empty plate.

Mike scoffed. “Yeah, right. You don’t have to pretend to be humble in front of your girlfriend…”

Hunter’s lips threatened a shy smile. He slipped his hand back onto my thigh.

Mike watched the server deliver the next course before he said, “When he finally does get to build his dream company, watch out, world. That thing will take off.”

“So when Olivia’s hard work takes off, Hunter can step in and build her an empire.” The woman with red lipstick smiled. “I miss the days of young love, when you had your whole lives ahead of you.”

“What are you talking about—you still look sixteen!” the graying man said in a booming voice.

“Oh!” The woman with the red lipstick touched her hair with a delighted smile. “Don’t I wish.”

“I don’t. I was poor and clueless.” Mike laughed.

Everyone laughed as the conversations broke up, people turning to talk to those closest. As I took a bite of my lamb, I noticed Blaire’s eyes on me, burning with hatred. Her plans to ostracize me from the group had failed.

For a woman that liked to win, she didn’t do it very often…

I’d probably see her wrath eventually, but right now, I just wanted to enjoy Hunter’s family and friends. He was opening up another little part of himself, and I was eager to become a part of it.

T
he rest
of the dinner party went surprisingly well. Trisha’s friends were cordial and polite, easy to talk to and always friendly. They were never once snobby, and no one seemed to care about my background. Aside from Blaire constantly trying to be wherever Hunter was, and always trying to butt into his conversations, I had a great time.

The next week went quickly, with a haze of work blending the days together. It turned out Bruce and I were a lot closer to launching the app than I’d originally thought. We had a few tweaks and some coding problems, but a beta test had actually gone out to a select group of computer geeks. They’d be harder on our game than normal people, but they’d also find ninety-nine percent of the bugs.

This meant, of course, that Bruce was more hyped up and anxious than normal, sending me fixes and issues throughout the day. I took lunch breaks just to work on his notes. The moment I left Hunter, I was working for Bruce. It was brutal.

When the next Saturday rolled around, I was in my home office with the stack of boxes, staring at the computer with puffy eyes. I entered the last few lines of code, tried to think of anything else I could possibly have to do, and then fell back in my chair with a huge sigh.

“
Finally!
”
I rubbed my tired eyes. That should keep Bruce off my back for a few days. Maybe.

I checked the time. Hunter would probably be over soon. Hopefully.

I thought back to his almost-admission from the week before. He had been going to say he loved me. It had to be. He hadn’t said anything since, but I often saw that emotion in his eyes. The emotion he’d had when he started to say the word. It was just a matter of time.

I turned around and stared at the stack of boxes. What a pain. I hated unpacking. I wouldn’t even need most of the stuff. Janelle had stocked the flat pretty well.

My gaze roamed over the various boxes, as I tried to figure out where to start, when it snagged on two boxes at the bottom. A chill passed up my spine as I stared at the word “bathroom” printed on the side.

“Oh shit,” I whispered, getting up with wooden movements.

My phone rang. I barely heard it.

Like a zombie, I moved one box after the other, working down to that “bathroom” box. Once there, I ripped it open and rifled through it.

It didn’t have what I was looking for.

I found the next and did the same, pushing past some bath towels to find my little blue canvas bag. I took it out and stared at it.

I had been a week without taking the pill. And not the sugar pill week, either, where your body and Aunt Flow battle, cramps make your life miserable, and you just wait for the end. No. The week
after
that.

I’d had sex nearly every day. Unprotected.

What the fuck had I been
thinking
?

I
never
forgot the pill. Never! I was religious about it. Always had been. I’d never even had a scare before, I was that conscientious.

Yet this last week it hadn’t crossed my mind once. Not once.

I groaned.

Hunter had trusted me. This was such a big deal, and Hunter had trusted me with it in a way he hadn’t trusted anyone else. But aside from that,
what the fuck was I thinking?

Hyperventilating, I walked out to the living room. Once there, I wiped my suddenly damp forehead and sat on the couch. My phone rang in my office again.

I had to tell him. There was no way around that. We’d have to use condoms for the rest of the month, and he’d want to know why.

My stomach churned. The good news was that I probably wasn’t pregnant yet. Ovulation happened more toward the middle of the cycle.
I think.

I got up and paced in the middle of the living room.

He was supposed to be home in an hour or so and we were going shopping for God-knew-what. Naturally, I should just wait until he got home, admit my mistake, and assure him we were probably fine.

Fear worked through my body and out through my limbs. I shook out my hands. He had every right to be extremely pissed off about this. I had majorly screwed up. This wasn’t one of those situations where both parties were equally to blame; this was all down to me. I’d assumed responsibility, assured him I was trustworthy, and then been negligent.

I started back to my office, thinking that working might distract me until Hunter got home. I could do some things for Hunter. Or go over that code again for Bruce. I didn’t have high hopes that it would work, but pacing in the middle of the floor wasn’t doing any good.

As I passed the door, I heard the gate of the building clang. I froze. It could be anyone. Janelle often stopped by on her day off—maybe she’d forgotten something. Or maybe Mrs. Foster had…

I watched the door handle turn before the door swung open. In stepped an incredibly handsome man with a tailored suit, loosened tie, and sexy bedroom eyes.

“Why are you home so early?” I said in a hoarse voice.

A crease formed between Hunter’s eyebrows. His expression turned into one of confusion as he closed the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

“You’re home early,” I said again.

“What’s the matter?” Hunter walked toward me, reaching out to brush his hands across my cheek when he neared.

I flinched, fear clawing at me. Tears came to my eyes. “I fucked up, Hunter. I fucked up really bad.”

“Hey.” He grabbed me, pulling me into his body. “What happened?”

I pushed against him, struggling out of his grip. A terrified, angry tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away as my chin trembled. “I forgot to take the pill. All week I forgot. I’ve been without protection.”

Fear welled up again, not just from what he might say or do, but from the uncertainty of what that just might mean. I was young, just starting out, and had no solid ties to the man in front of me. If he fired me, I would immediately go back to unemployed with a mountain of debt. How could I possibly raise a child, too? How could I afford it, much less grow up to nurture it? I could barely take care of myself!

“It might be okay,” I said, mostly to myself. I wiped my tears with a trembling hand. “I don’t think I ovulate until the middle of the month. So if we use condoms now, I think we’ll be okay. We should. I’m pretty sure. I’m really sorry—there’s no excuse. I just…I have no idea how I forgot. I really don’t. I was looking for them two weeks ago, and meant to come back, and then it was my period week, so that was fine, and then, somehow…”

A hiccup interrupted my babbling. I sniffled and wiped my hand across my face. “I just remembered today. I was thinking about all the boxes behind me and then…”

I looked up through my lashes. Hunter stood motionless, staring at me with a straight face and rigid body. This was the expression and stance he used to distance himself from what was going on around him. Still he didn’t speak.

I let my shoulders slump as I swallowed back a sob. “You trusted me. I know that. I broke that trust. But please believe me, Hunter, I didn’t mean to. I really didn’t. I honestly don’t know how I could forget. I
never
forget about that kind of stuff. Not even when I’m not sexually active—I’ve never forgotten before.”

A sob racked my body as I withered within his stare. I threw up my hands helplessly. “I don’t know what I can do right now. What’s done is done. And I accept it if you—”

“Is it mine—would it be mine?”

“Wh-what?” I managed.

“If you did get pregnant. Would it be mine?”

My face dropped. I was incredulous. “What do you mean, would it be
yours
?
Who else’s would it be?”

“That’s what I’m asking.”

“Of
course
it would be yours. I don’t think God plants babies in women like me.”

In a flash of memory, I realized why he was asking. The last time he thought he might be a father, it had actually been his dad’s baby. He’d been lied to, and it had killed him.

“Sorry—when you ask a question like that, it sounds like you’re accusing me of cheating. I mean…you are, but…I get why.” I wiped away another tear. “Yes, you’re the only man I’ve been with since the beginning. And before that I was on a dry spell, so if the worst happens, it’ll have your DNA.”

“I have your word? I trust you, Olivia, but I need to hear you say it.”

I huffed, fresh tears springing to my eyes. “You did trust me, yes. And look where it got you. But yeah, it’d be yours.”

I heard Hunter exhale before he gathered me up into his strong arms. “Okay.”

“What do you mean, ‘okay’?” I mumbled, curling up in his arms. I needed love right now. I needed support and encouragement, because I was terrified what might happen. What it would mean in my life.

“I mean that this is okay.” He pulled his upper body back and ran his fingers along my jaw line, applying pressure to make me look up. His eyes were soft and deep. “I love you. I didn’t think I’d ever love again, but since I first saw you, you pulled at me. You sucked me in. I can’t live without you, Olivia Jonston. I’ve found in you what I’ve always wanted in a woman. You turned me from a heartless bastard, living in a colorless world, into someone who sees the beauty in everyday life. You’ve taught me to feel again. I’ve never been this happy, in my life.”

More tears rolled down my cheeks, and not from fear this time.

He smiled and leaned down, kissing the trails of moisture. “My mother loves you, too. It took her the same amount of time to see in you what I do. She knew you had a hold on me from the first, and she knows I’ll never let you go.”

“I thought you were just waiting for me to realize you were awful and take off?” I huffed out a laugh.

He laid his hand against my cheek. “I’m afraid I’d follow you. I can’t let you go—it isn’t in me. You have me wrapped around your finger, and I’d bend whichever way I needed to make you happy.” He wiped my cheek with his thumb.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. “But what about the lack of protection issue?”

“I’m ready. I’ve always wanted kids—why not start now?”

I shook my head a fraction, the fear from a few moments before still coursing through me, but now love and joy were fighting it. “You’re supposed to be angry.”

He smiled and pulled me into his chest. “I’m not. Not at all. You’ve been stressed, busy—plus, you did ask me to help you get the box out. I knew what you were looking for, and I forgot all about it. So you see, it’s not just your fault.”

I tucked my face into his chest. “I’m not really ready yet, Hunter.”

“We’ll use protection from now on, and just see what happens, okay? But let’s not worry about what we can’t control. There’s no point in it.”

I closed my eyes and took a big breath, soaking in his heat and assurance that everything would work out. “Okay.”

“Now. Let’s get changed. I want to go shopping, and then we can go out for a late lunch or early dinner.”

I reached up and gently grabbed his face, turning it down to me. He bent, knowing what I wanted, and captured my lips. I opened my mouth, moaning when he filled it with his tongue. One more time wouldn’t matter…

Urgency overcame me. I stepped back, pulling him with me. My fingers tore at his shirt, popping a button open and pulling another off. Two more followed, skidding against the floor. I ripped at his pants, yanking them open and shoving them down.

His hands slid under my shirt and pushed my bra up, cupping my breasts. His palms rubbed against my hard nipples and sent shooting sparks of pleasure through my body.

“Take me, Hunter,” I begged, undoing my pants and pushing them down. I shimmied out of them, hooking a thigh high on his hip and pulling him closer.

His erection hit off me. He grabbed the base of his cock and directed it to my opening, his lips greedy and insistent on mine. The tip pushed at my wetness. He thrust, sheathing himself to the hilt.

“Hmm,” I moaned, clutching at his shoulders.

He grabbed me by my thighs and hoisted me up, pinning me against the wall. He pulled back and thrust again, starting to build a hard and fast rhythm. I tilted my hips to meet his plunge, and then pulled back, stroking him.

“Yes,” he said softly, our breath mingling. Heat blistered between our bodies and unfurled deep inside me.

“I love you, Hunter,” I said, my heart thumping with intense emotion, my body reveling in the pleasure of having him inside me.

“I love you,” he murmured.

The feelings, both physical and emotional, shocked into me, taking me higher. I held on to his shoulders, moaning into his mouth. Soaking up the exquisite pleasure. Feeling something deep inside that I’d never felt before. Love, pure and sweet, spiraled outward, overcoming me. Flowering between us.

“Hunter,” I groaned, kissing him passionately.

His hands tightened on my hips, holding me in place while he plunged into me. I held on with everything I had, my body coiling. The pleasure coalescing. My breath came out in pants. My moans grew louder.

Still the pleasure built.

“Oh,” I breathed, rocking against him.

Harder he strove, our bodies crashing together. The sensations tightened in my core. My toes curled.

An orgasm blasted through me. “Oh!” I exalted, shuddering against him.

His body shook against me with his own release. His arms snaked behind me, holding me tight. He buried his head into my neck as he shook again.

I hooked my ankles around his back and draped myself onto him as the last of the pleasure washed through my body.

“Now it’s my fault, too.” He lightly sucked at the hot skin on my neck. “But really, what’s one more day?”

“I think I will blame you for that, just because it makes me feel better. A little.”

“Good. Let’s shower, and then get going.”

“Always in a hurry.”

Hunter stepped away from the wall and put me down gently. His expression had turned serious. “We may not have a baby yet, but I’m hoping eventually that we will, Livy. And when that day comes, we can’t work this much. Neither of us can. Not if we want to raise a child right. I want to be a good father. I don’t want to raise a child like I was raised. So when we do eventually cross that road, God willing, we’re going to need to compromise on our work commitment. Promise me that.”